Andrew Ritchie

About the book:

No sooner was the bicycle
invented or it was adopted by the
athletes of the day in sporting
competition. Quest for Speed
traces the development of the sport
from its beginnings in 1868 to the
evolvement of "modern" road racing,
around the time of the first Tour de
France.

About the author:

Andrew Ritchie was born in
Edinburgh, Scotland and grew up in
South London. He graduated from
Cambridge University in Art and
History, and later in life obtained
a PhD in Sports History from
Strathclyde University in Glasgow,
Scotland. After working as a
broadcaster and photo-journalist, he
moved to the United States. He has
authored a number of books on the
history of cycling, including Major Taylor, "The
Fastest Bicycle Racer in the World."
He lives in El Cerrito, California.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

1. The Origins of
Bicycle Racing

2. Expansion of
Bicycling in Britain

3. The Beginnings of
Bicycle Racing in the United
States

4. Expansion of the
High-Wheel Sport

5. Sport, Speed and
Safety, 1885–1893

6. The Foundation of
Modern Road Racing

7. International
Competition

8. Bicycle Racing and
Modernism

9. Non-Competitive Cycling
in the 1890s

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index

From the contents

The 1868 Bicycle Tournament at
Liverpool.

Arthur du Cros, R.J. Mecredy and Harvey
du Cros were members of the "Irish
Brigade" that raced successfully in
international competition in 1890.

For a time when shutter speeds were not
usually fast enough for action
photography, this is a rare action shot
showing the excitement of bicycle racing
around the turn of the century.